Got Culture?

If I ever have another dog as one of my life companions, I’ve already decided it will be tiny. Tiny tiny. Maybe tea cup size. Even if tiny dogs do seem to shake and shiver a lot. Even if others think I should get a “real dog.”

Why? I admit it. My main rationale is: tiny dog, tiny poop.

Actually, I already have trillions of tiny beings in my body. Right now each of us has trillions upon trillions of little critters we host in our bodies. In fact, these microscopic beings may outnumber our human cells 10 to 1.

Most people with animal companions gracing their lives have to decide: do I sleep with my pets or not? When you start to realize that you are host to trillions of tiny beings that you are carrying 24/7, you might also begin to have the dawning awareness that maintaining order and balance in your inner ecosystem is an absolute necessity for health. Often called “gut flora,” these critters are not actually plants, and some researchers are starting to call them “gut biota” or “microbiomes.”

So critical to our health are these critters that I nominate them as the 2014 “Pet of the Year.” As cutting edge research continues, the case gets stronger for living in peace and harmony with the “right” critters in the “right” balance. “Intestinal fortitude” takes on a new nuance. Really.

Enjoying culture, as it applies to cultured or fermented food and drink, is one of the easiest ways to enhance your immune system, improve your digestion, health and well-being. Blog post coming soon: how to get more culture(s) in your life. Inexpensively.